ANDERSON COUNTY, Tenn. — Two East Tennessee counties will get a total of more than $1.2 million in grants to help them renovate sites for big businesses to move into.
The grants will be given as part of the state's "Select Tennessee" site certification program. The program is meant to help counties renovate areas that will then be marketed to businesses as potential sites for them to move into.
For a site to be certified by the program, there need to be at least 20 acres that can be developed. It also needs to have utilities on the site, or a formal extension plan in place. The county must have also completed a boundary survey and topographic maps before the sites can be certified, while also documenting environmental conditions in the area and completing a geotechnical analysis.
The sites also need to have minimized risk factors for development and be certified by Austin Consulting, according to state officials.
The Anderson County Economic Development Association will get $1 million to complete due diligence studies, as well as prepare First Quality Drive for businesses.
The Loudon County Economic Development Agency will also get $222,000 to prepare Centre 75 Business Park, as well as to build a marketing road.
Officials said ten other groups received grants across Tennessee. Groups that want to apply for the grants and for their sites to be certified can start the process online.
Certified sites will be marketed to a "targeted group of site selection consultants" and business leaders in specific industries, according to the program's website.
In total, officials gave more than $8 million in grants across the state.